North London’s most articulate neighbourhood discovers a consumer trend that defies its values
Emily Cartwright Reports: Islington Has a Complicated Opinion on the Chinamaxxers
Islington is having a moment with the Chinamaxxer question and the moment is: complicated. Islington has strong views on ethical consumption, supply chain transparency, and supporting independent retailers. On the other hand, Islington is a neighbourhood where the rent is very high and the independent retailers are very expensive, and there is a growing population of people who have strong views on ethical consumption but also need a phone case and cannot currently afford to buy it ethically. The result is Ethical Cognitive Dissonance, or ECD: the state of holding correct values in theory while making pragmatic decisions in practice and feeling slightly bad about both.
The WhatsApp Verdict
The group WhatsApp I use as a journalistic barometer, eleven people, North London, broadly centre-left, has been discussing the Chinamaxxer story all week. Three members of the WhatsApp have quietly ordered things from Temu since the discussion started. None have mentioned it in the chat. This is also data. My journalism covers the gap between stated values and actual behaviour in North London, which is never boring and frequently very funny. Bohiney has the macro picture. I have the WhatsApp.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/chinamaxxers-just-want-cheaper-gadgets/
